You shouldn’t take any chances when it comes to keeping your child safe from sun damage. A baby’s skin is paper thin –so thin, in fact, it isn’t developed enough to provide natural protection against U.V. rays. A sunburn won’t just hurt; it could damage to skin cells or result in immune system suppression.
To learn how to advise you mom’s and dad’s, we consulted Dr. George Martin, a board certified dermatologist who has been practicing clinical dermatology for over 20 years. Dr. Martin is the founder and chairman of the internationally recognized dermatology meeting, “Maui Derm: Advances in Cosmetic and Medical Dermatology” and a contributing editor to the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. Based in Hawaii, he is certainly no stranger to the sun.
Here’s Dr. Martin’s advice for parents:
Keep your baby out of the sun. “I tell new parents that their child should not be in the sun before the age of 6 months. Same goes for children older than 6 months. Whenever I talk to parents I reinforce the need to keep children out of the sun as much as possible.”
~ Dr. Martin
“Out of the sun” means completely out of the sun. “‘Out of the sun’ doesn’t mean in a shaded area, or under a tree. What we’ve learned is that reflected light, or indirect light, is responsible for about 80% of the sun damage individuals receive over the course of their lifetime. So, it’s recommended that children between 6 months and 1 year really be shielded from the sun. If everyone’s going to be outdoors at the beach or at the playground, bring a little tent for the baby.”
~ Dr. Martin
Dress your baby in sun protective clothing. “The child should be covered in sun protective clothing whenever he or she is in sun exposed areas. That’s the recommendation we have in dermatology regarding sun exposure in children under 6 months of age.”
~ Dr. Martin
Use sunscreen. “Children 6 months of age or younger should be wearing an SPF of 30 or higher.”
~ Dr. Martin
As your child grows… “Beyond the age of 1, and especially once kids start running around, children should continue to wear an SPF 30 sunscreen on all the sun-exposed areas. Continue the use of protective clothing, particularly hats, and protective long-sleeve gear – in and out of the water, and in out of the sun.”
~ Dr. Martin